The internet is noisier and noisier every day. Simply writing blogs and trying to entice people with content doesn't work like it did 8 years ago. Getting people to your website, no matter if you're a blogger or a business, is an integral part of building your brand. So how do you do that, when everyone else online is trying the same thing? We talk a lot about digital marketing strategy here at Revenue River, because we don't believe in keeping all the industry secrets to ourselves. It's more and more difficult for the average business owner to set themselves apart from the competition online, and if you're not doing everything you can to build your fanbase, reach out to potential clients, and connect with existing ones, you're falling behind your competition.

So how do you leverage great content to help your efforts online? When I talk about content, I mean everything ranging from blogs, to social media, to ebooks. I've spoken before about the importance of utilizing social media for your business purposes, and we have some great content for you about how to write ebooks that help create leads and conversions. But blogging can be a tough place for people to get started, especially when there is so much out there. Here are three reasons and ways you should and can use content to help your business in 2018.

Taking Your SEO Strategy into the New Year

The first reason to spend time this year on creating new content is being the technical assistance that pillar pages and blog posts give your search engine optimization. By posting regular blogs about relevant topics, mixing in keywords and images about your business or industry, you help search engines like Google track down your website and bump you up their rankings. The higher you are, the more likely people searching those keywords are to see your site and visit. The more precise your keywords are, the more qualified the people visiting your site will be, and the more likely they'll be to download a free offer or contact you for more information.

The more blogs you write, the more pages you'll have on your site for Google to index, and the more potential you have for rising in SEO rank. Even better, spend more time on the critical questions your prospects have, or the solutions you provide, and build a pillar page too!

Using Content to Build Industry Trust

The second benefit of blogging folds right into our discussion on content curation. As intimidating as it can be to put your thoughts online for all to see, never forget why you got into your industry: because you're an expert. Nobody should know more about your field than you, and if they do, you need to be working every day to learn more, and using a blog to share your knowledge and expertise with the world.

Maybe you work in a technical industry, selling B2B services, and the subject matter might not be the most exhilarating. Get creative and find ways to tie current events and entertaining subjects to your products and services. By blogging regularly, you'll establish yourself as an expert, and that trust goes a long way online.

Growing Your Circle of Influence

Finally, content curation is a great way to get started with content if you aren't ready to write from scratch. Some people use the phrase "content curation" when they really mean "plagiarism" - that sort of wholesale copying of articles and reposting on your site isn't what I'm talking about here. There are probably other experts in your field sharing their thoughts online, and you can provide thought leadership by sharing their work and expanding on it, adding your own opinions and comparing schools of thought.

By sharing your thoughts online, you'll end up meeting other business owners and professionals in your industry, building a better network and providing opportunities for learning and growth for your company. Your LinkedIn account will be exploding, and you'll have more leads coming in that you know what to do with. Think this all can't happen through your content efforts? Why not try it out and see what happens?

Content needs to be a daily part of your business operations, and the more of your qualified staff that can get contributing and networking, the better. Content is just one piece of powerful digital marketing, and you need some creative web design, branding, and sales to help complement it, but by utilizing content curation, you can start sharing quality content right now. So visit your competition, find industry leaders, see what they are discussing and sharing, and join the conversation!

This blog was originally published on 08/28/2013 and has been republished to account for fresh content and accuracy.

Nathan Miller was one of the first hires at Revenue River. He’s worn many hats; writer, social media guru, ecommerce manager and now director of sales and marketing. Nathan develops client relationships and oversees their sales, branding and marketing strategy. Revenue River wouldn’t have a presence on the East Coast if it weren’t for Nathan. As the head of Revenue River’s New York office it’s his responsibility to make sure we’re all up to speed on glitter beards and handle bar mustaches. He..